Bella's POV
The next three days were very busy for me. I spent nearly all of my time studying for my final exams and taking them in school.
During this time, I asked Carlisle not to visit me. Neither of us were happy about this, but he understood why it had to be so. I promised that I would try to spend the weekend with him and our family.
I was sure that I had passed three of them. Only Calculus and Physics were a bit hard. I hoped that I scraped at least a high C for them, if not a low B. I did not want to have to repeat 12th grade. At least Alice, Jasper, and the others didn't have to worry about failing. I almost envied them.
Edward and I still hung out at school sometimes, but it was not the same. However, that could go without being mentioned. We agreed that neither of us would tell our classmates that we had broke up. Dealing with gossip was the last thing that we wanted or needed.
I knew that he was still down about us not being mates, but I knew that he would be okay after a while.
Besides my exams, I had to pack my clothes and other necessary things for the trip to Cancún. Carlisle, our family, and I were leaving to go there next Friday, two days after graduation. Carlisle had asked Charlie if I was allowed to join them, and he said yes.
"She'll be nineteen in three months," he added. "She's old enough to do nearly everything she wants to do as long as it's legal."
We chuckled at his joke, but we knew that he meant what he said.
On Friday night, I decided to spend the weekend at Carlisle's place again. Charlie laughed about this.
"You seem to be there more than you are at home. Does this have anything to do with Edward?" he queried.
"No. I just really like to hang out with the Cullens. They're like my second family," I remarked.
He nodded when he saw that I wasn't lying. "I understand what you mean. Well, I don't blame you. They are good people and I'm happy that they are your friends."
I still didn't tell him that Carlisle and I were together yet, but I knew that I would have to one day. He and I agreed that we should wait until he and Esme were divorced to. Then we would come up with a good story. I just didn't know when the right time would be. Instead, I chose to reveal something else to him.
"Besides, Edward and I were never together. We were never meant to be," I stated earnestly.
"You weren't? I thought you were in love with him. You said that you two were thinking of getting married!"
I sighed deeply. "I know, but we still weren't together. We believed that were in love and infatuated with each other, but it turns out we were just in love with the idea of love. We are and have been good friends, though."
Charlie pursed his lips. "Ahhh. I'm sorry to hear that it never worked out. But I know that you'll find the right person for you someday."
"Mmm. Maybe." It wasn't as if I hadn't already.
"Of course you will. You should get going, though, Bells. You don't want to get to the Cullen's too late," he pointed out.
Glancing at my watch, I nodded. "Yeah, I should. I'll be back on Sunday evening, Dad."
We hugged each other. "Okay, honey. Be safe. Call me if you need anything."
"I will. Bye, Dad."
"See you later, Bella."
I left the house and got in my truck. Then I drove to Carlisle's.
He was waiting by the front door of his mansion when I arrived there twenty minutes later. I smiled as he opened it for me.
"Let me guess. Alice told you that I was coming?" I joked.
"Yes. I would have known that you were coming anyhow...I can hear your truck approaching from a mile away, it's so loud," he declared.
I jabbed him playfully before kissing him. "Whatever. I missed you."
"Oh, love. I missed you too. I'm glad that you are here."
"So am I, baby."
Carlisle shut the door and wrapped his arm around my back. "How are you, Isabella? How did your Spanish II exam go? Was it difficult?"
I shook my head. "No, not really. Only Calculus and Physics were, but I worked hard to do my best on them. I hope that I didn't fail them."
He kissed me on the cheek. "I don't think that you did. You are very smart; I know that you did well."
"Thank you."
At that moment, I noticed how quiet it was. "Where is everybody?"
"In the forest hunting. They will return in the morning. I asked if they could give us some time alone. We haven't seen each other since Tuesday night."
"Yeah, I know, but we have all weekend to catch up. How was work today?" I inquired.
Carlisle grinned. "Not too busy. Nothing unusual happened," he responded.
I smiled back. "That's good."
He led me upstairs. "So, what do you feel like doing tonight?"
Exhaling deeply, I said, "Mostly just resting. I'm tired as hell and I need to relax for a bit."
"Well, we shall go to my room then. Besides, there is something in it that I have to show you."
"Ooooh. I can't wait to find out what it is."
To my astonishment, the bed that we used in the spare room was in there. So was the other furniture. The drawer from another spare room that had extra clothes for me was on my right. Quite fitting. That was the side of the bed I slept on. The red velvet couch was under the window on the left, and the red velvet armchair was in the left-hand corner. The side-table drawers were on both sides of the bed.
I nodded in approval before Carlisle and I laid down. I snuggled into him as he held me close.
After a while, I questioned, "Did you bring all of the furniture in here?"
"Yes. I didn't want to keep the one that Esme and I used. She agreed that I should bring in this one. Then we removed her drawers and her wardrobe from her closet. Alice put all of your things in it for you. I brought your drawer in here too. Esme took her clothes and other things to one of the bedrooms upstairs. I plan to repaint the walls a different color on Monday," he replied.
"I'm not surprised to hear that. It was going to happen eventually, you two gradually separating from one another. Did she apply for the divorce yet?"
I felt him bob his head. "She did, but instead of infidelity, she told our lawyer that "Irreconcilable Differences" is the reason for our divorce. I told her that she could have added infidelity because I technically did cheat. I also joked that I was so handsome that any woman would like to sleep with me.
"But she just laughed and told me no. Esme also told me that, 'You are not my mate, so it only makes sense that we would divorce for that reason-not that I would ever mention anything about soul mates to our lawyer. And even though you may have cheated, it doesn't bother me. Bella is your true other half, and it wasn't wrong to have sex with her.'"
"That was nice of her to say. She really could have just told your lawyer that you cheated," I pointed out.
"She could have, yes, but she decided not to. Everything has been paid for, and the documents will be ready after we come back from our trip. Our lawyer isn't the usual type of lawyer, so he can draw them up in just a few weeks."
"Ohhh okay."
We were quiet after that. Neither of us felt like doing anything except basking in each other's presence. My head grew less tense as I calmly relaxed in his arms. He kissed my hair now and then and rubbed my stomach.
I didn't know how much time had passed by when Carlisle slid his hand downwards. I bit my lip as he pressed into me.
He laid his cheek on mine. "Mmm. It's seems like it has been a long while since we had fucked, although we did on Tuesday," he whispered.
"Yeah, I know. I missed having sex with you," I murmured.
"So did I."
Carlisle turned me over and kissed me deeply. I kissed him back, laying my hand on his shoulders. He laid a smooch on my jaw, then hissed in my ear, "I am going to ravish you well tonight."
Then he moved down to my neck, grazing my pulse point with his teeth. I held him there as I whimpered.
My pussy grew wetter every second. He obviously smelled my arousal; his dick hardened on my left inner thigh.
Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. He would drive me nuts if he kept this up!
"Baby, I need you," I all but pleaded.
"And you shall have me."
He helped me stand up and we took off each other clothes. After that, we climbed on the bed again.
Carlisle's POV
Isabella laid on top of me, facing the other way. Her ass and drenched pussy were above me.
Growling, I ran my tongue along her slit. She jerked my cock vigorously with a moan. I teased her for bit, then proceeded to eat her out. Her juices dripped into my mouth. When she began to suck my cock, I hissed.
Not too long after, we were drawing closer to our releases. Two of my fingers were drilling her pussy as I licked her swollen nub in vampire speed. She was moving faster too while her tongue swirled up and down my length.
Her walls soon clamped around my fingers. My balls tightened a second later.
The next thing I knew, she half-hollered as she fell over the edge. I grunted as my cum spurted into her mouth.
Isabella slumped onto me while panting heavily. She caught her breath, then reversed herself to face me. She lifted my dick and I guided her onto it.
"Oooooooh," she moaned as she began to ride me. I moaned too as I placed my hands on her ass.
"Fuck, I missed this," I whispered.
"So did I."
It took a few minutes for her to get used to this position since she had never rode me before. Once she did, her speed increased a little. I threw my head back and groaned.
She smirked. "You-like-that?"
"Ohhhh, hell yes."
I gripped her ass and thrust upwards as she slid down. We both enjoyed that, so I kept doing it. Isabella moaned and panted continuously in my ear.
Just as we were nearing our second orgasm, I lifted her off of me. I opened a drawer to take out some lube. She whined until crawled behind her and rammed my dick into her.
"Shut that whining the fuck up," I ordered, earning another moan of pleasure from her.
I applied lube to my right index finger while I continued to slam into her. I opened her butt cheeks, then spread some lube on her tight asshole.
"Baby? Ungh...What are you doing?" Isabella queried in curiosity.
"Preparing you...mmmph...for anal sex. That is, if you don't mind," I responded.
She shrugged. "No, I don't. But promise you'll stop if I don't like it."
"Of course I promise to. Now, this will hurt, but it will get better."
"All right."
I rubbed her asshole before sliding my finger into it little by little. Isabella winced, but did not indicate for me to stop.
With a pleased smirk, I gently thrusted my finger in and out of her ass. She grunted over and over.
"Do you like it so far?" I inquired.
She nodded. "Mmmmm, yeah."
"Mmmm, excellent. I can't wait to put my dick in it."
"Please do. I know that I'll love that."
I chuckled. "All in good time, dear."
When she was used to my finger, I put another one in it. Isabella enjoyed that even more.
It was not long before her asshole was ready for me. I took out my fingers and slipped out of her pussy. We groaned at the loss as I lubed my cock. Then I lubed her asshole a second time.
"Baby, this will hurt more than my fingers did. I would like you to relax for me. It will be more painful if you don't," I stated.
"Okay. I understand," she remarked.
She grew calm immediately.
"Excellent."
I opened her cheeks and lined my dick up with her asshole. She hissed as I slid into her gently. I could smelled her tears.
Frowning in worry, I queried, "Should I stop, honey?"
"No. It's not as painful as I thought it would be," she replied.
I laughed lightly. "That is because you are not tense."
A few minutes later, Isabella eyed me with a smile, conveying that she was ready. I nodded to let her know that I understood.
I pulled out of her while only leaving the head of my cock in before slowly re-entering her. The last thing that I wanted to do was hurt her.
"Yesssss," she moaned as I began to thrust into her at a steady pace.
"Fuuucckk," I whispered. "Your ass feels so good."
Reaching down, I slid two of my digits into her soaking wet pussy. She moaned louder; she obviously liked having both of her holes filled.
I was soon pounding into her. My fingers ravished her cunt in near-vampire speed. We experienced so much pleasure that neither of us were unable to stop moaning.
Her asshole clenched around me before long. I pulled out of her again.
She groaned in irritation. "Please, Carlisle. Please let me cum."
"Quiet. You'll cum when I'm ready for you to."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really."
I stood and lifted her into my arms. Isabella wrapped her arms around my neck. I positioned my cock at her entrance, then lowered her onto it.
"Hold on, now," I admonished.
She tightened her grip as I bounced her. I thrusted upwards every time she came down. The pleasure caused both of our heads to fall back as we moaned.
When Isabella was approaching her orgasm for the third time, I made her do a handstand. She kept her legs open as I fucked her upside down hard.
After quite a while, I finally decided to let us both cum. She was not the only one who needed to at this point. We would both go insane if we didn't.
I set her down to put her out the the handstand. Then I carried her over to a low table and swept everything off of it without giving a rat's ass if they broke. I laid her on it somewhat roughly before opening her legs and slamming into her.
"Ohhhhh-ohh, fuck," Isabella gasped.
Smirking, I pulled out of her slowly, then thrusted back in hard. She half-yelled in ecstasy.
"Mmmmmmm, you really like that, don't you, bitch?" I hissed, thrusting into her a second time.
"Yes, baby, yes!"
I chuckled. "Then I will do it more."
And with that, I kept pulling out and ramming into her until neither of us were able to take it any longer. I hitched her legs above my waist and pounded into her over and over. Isabella and I moaned and/or screamed every time I thrusted into her. The table squeaked as it wobbled and jerked violently.
Our moans soon turned to loud grunts as my movements became erratic. Her walls clamped around me, driving me closer to the edge. I buried my face in her neck and sank my teeth into it. Marking her. Making her mine all over again.
"Carlisle...ungh...I'm...ohhhh!...about to...FUUUCCKK!" she hollered.
"UNNNNGGH!" I roared.
I rode her out before lifting her up. Any more pressure and the table would collapse. The splintering legs prove this.
Isabella panted as we made herself comfortable on the bed. "That was so damn good. You have to fuck me upside down and in the ass more often," she whooshed.
"Don't worry. I plan to. I enjoy fucking you like that," I murmured.
She laid her head on my chest with a smile, her eyes drooping.
I wrapped an arm around her. "Why don't you get some sleep? You must be worn out."
"Yes, I am. I'm about to doze off anyway. Good night, Carlisle. I love you. So much."
Kissing her passionately, I whispered, "I love you so much too, my dear Isabella. Good night."
(Saturday thru Monday)
The rest of the weekend was spent making final plans for our trip to Cancún. Now that Esme and I were divorcing, we agreed that we should use different hotels. It was only the logical thing to do.
Edward opted to stay in the hotel that she would be in for the next month. I did not blame him for choosing to do so. However, my other children would occupy to same hotel that Isabella and I will be in. They would just be on another floor.
On Monday morning, I repainted my room, closet, and bathroom's walls while Isabella and the kids were at school. They (the walls) were sky-blue. Now, they would be eggshell white. I had to add a few coatings of paint to make the blue disappear, but it was worth it. I aired the rooms out when I was done.
Luckily, the paint was the kind that dried quickly. By one in the afternoon, they were no longer wet. The pungent smell had nearly completely faded around that time as well.
I surveyed all three rooms with a smile. They looked as good as new; I barely even recognized it. Neither did Esme when she came to take a peek at it.
"You did a very good job, Carlisle. I know that Bella will love it when she sees it. The white goes splendidly with the furniture," she remarked.
"Thank you. I felt that the walls ought to. Plus, it would be better for us if the room looked different," I commented.
She inclined her head in understanding. "It does. If I hadn't known that you were painting it, I would have believed that I had entered the wrong room," she joked.
Bella's POV
2:35pm
I was reading a book in my seventh period class. Now that there was nothing to do other than our graduation rehearsal (thank goodness), my senior classmates and I were pretty much able to do as we pleased.
The grades for our finals were about to be handed out any minute now. Except for Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward, we were all nervously waiting for our teacher to receive them.
The suspense practically drove me crazy, which was the reason I took out my novel. Reading was one of the only things that calmed me down. Hardly anything else did. I almost wished that I had let Alice tell me if I passed or not. She had offered to, but I said no. I preferred to find out for myself.
Finally, the classroom's door opened minutes later and a teacher walked in. It became deadly silent as he gave a number of white envelopes to Mr. Bertie, who thanked him. The other teacher said "You're welcome" and left.
Mr. Bertie grinned at us. "Well...they're here!" he proclaimed.
Nearly all my classmates cheered. I had to laugh.
"All right, settle down. Let me hand them to you. After you see your results, you may collect your things and go home."
He organized the envelopes before doing just that. I nodded to him in thanks when he had given mine to me. I read my finals' grades with trembling hands.
Spanish II-A (97%)
English IV-A (94%)
American History II-A (93%)
Physics-B (85%)
Calculus I-B (81%)
Congratulations, Isabella Swan! You have passed all of your tests with sufficient marks! You are now eligible to graduate for the year of 2006!
Joy and mind-numbing astonishment coursed through me. I was hardly able to believe it. I...I passed all of my finals, even getting a B for my two most difficult classes! I felt very relieved that I didn't have to worry about repeating the twelfth grade. Now I could graduate and be finished with high school! Charlie, Mom, and Phil will be so proud. Carlisle and Esme will too.
Edward hugged me with one arm. He had taken a look at my scores. "Great job, Bella! I knew you would do well," he declared.
I grinned in return. "Thank you. I already know that you passed everything, but same to you anyway," I mumbled.
"Thank you."
By scanning the room, I could tell that none of us failed. I was happy about that. I may not have liked or cared for most of them, but I did want them to pass if they were able to.
Alice waved to catch my attention. She beamed and put two thumbs up. Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett did too, silently congratulating me. I mouthed one back.
Mr. Bertie then dismissed us. I grabbed my book bag and left the school with the others.
We were in the parking lot when Alice and Rosalie embraced me. Emmett and Jasper did afterwards.
"You don't know how proud of you we are to know that passed the twelfth grade for the first time, Bella. Now you won't ever have to worry about failing if you ever go back," Emmett teased.
"Oh, shut up," I chortled. "I don't plan on ever going back to high school...unless I really had to."
I knew that Charlie off until five or six, so I decided to visit Carlisle until I had to go home and make dinner. I wanted to show him that I passed all of my exams.
With that in mind, I got in my truck and followed the others to their house. Carlisle and Esme strolled out of the front door as we parked in the driveway fifteen minutes later.
"Hi everyone," they greeted.
"Did you do anything important today?" Carlisle inquired.
Jasper shook his head. "No...nothing other than graduation rehearsal. Oh, and we were given our final exams' scores," he responded.
He rose an eyebrow. "Oh, have you? May Esme and I see them to be sure that you passed all of them?"
Emmett scoffed. "When did any of us ever fail our tests after we became vampires?"
"Good point."
Carlisle turned to me with a grin. "What about you, love? Did you pass all of yours?"
I handed him the envelope. "Check for yourself."
Both he and Esme skimmed through the results. Wide smiles appeared on their faces.
"Oh, my dear, Bella! I am very, very proud of you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me.
"So am I. Then again, I know that you were too smart to fail," Carlisle pointed out.
We kissed and embraced each other for a long minute. After that, all of us headed inside.
None of us really did much for the next two hours. I watched the guys play their video games as we women talked. Our graduation was the main topic.
"I'm happy that it's at one thirty in the afternoon, when it isn't going to be raining. That's what Alice told us. Bella, you can come over in the morning, and I can curl your hair?" Rosalie offered in a timid voice.
"That sounds fine. You may curl my hair," I stated nonchalantly.
"Have you decided on what you are going to wear?" Esme questioned.
I bobbed my head. "Yes. There is a blue dress with matching flats in my closet that I like."
Alice frown a little. "Do you mean blue dress that I gave you last month?"
"Yeah. It's about time that I wore it. I hope I won't look terrible in it."
Carlisle beamed at me. "You will look divine. Never fear."
My face tingled while everybody else rolled their eyes good-naturedly.
"Thank you," I murmured.
He winked.
At five o'clock, I said good-bye to him and the others before leaving. Carlisle told me that he would visit me in my bedroom later, when Charlie was asleep.
I was in the middle of finding something to cook when Charlie came home. He smiled when he noticed me.
"Hey, kiddo. How was school?" he inquired.
"Somewhat dull when we didn't have graduation practice, but good otherwise. There's a letter for you on the table," I added, meaning the envelope that contained my results.
He picked it up and opened it. I watched as his expression switched from curiosity to delighted surprise and euphoria.
The next thing I knew, he lifted me up.
"Baby, I'm so proud of you for passing high school the first time around. I know that your Calculus and Physics finals were hard, but I glad to see that you did your best!" he declared.
Charlie took me out to dinner on the spot. This was the last thing I expected him to do, but I didn't mind. We both ending up having a very nice time.
XXX
Graduation rehearsal lasted longer than it did the next day. Our teachers wanted to make sure that everything went according to plan. It was tiring and a little annoying; they kept nit-picking at us. In fact, I became more irritated than I normally would have. Jasper had to use his gift to calm me down.
"No need to take it personal," he joked.
Mom called later that day with bad news. She explained that Phil had broke his thigh bone during baseball practice, so they were unable to attend my graduation. I felt disappointed because I really missed them. I told her this.
"I know, baby. And we miss you too. I promise that we will make up for it one day, after you return from Cancún. How is Edward? Is the relationship still going okay?" she asked next.
"Edward is doing fine. But he and I aren't together...never have been. We realized that neither of us belong together. He is still my friend, though," I replied. I wasn't ready to tell her about my relationship with Carlisle either.
"Mmm. I understand. Well, at least you two have that...friendship, I mean."
"Yes. It's a good thing to have."
She was more upbeat to learn that I had passed my tests. She yelled with joy so loudly that I had to move my cell phone away from my ear. Then she let me know that she would tell Phil all about it.
"Okay. Tell him that I said hi. I'll have Charlie send you pictures of the graduation."
"That will be awesome. I'll look for them in the mail!"
After a while, we exchanged "I love you"s and I promised to call her tomorrow. Then I hung up.
Nothing much happened for the rest of the day. I put my graduation gown in the bathroom and turned on a hot shower. I needed to keep it free of wrinkles.
Carlisle stopped by to see me that night. We had to be quiet or else Charlie would hear us. However, neither of us really talked, just laid in each others arms like we did on Friday.
"It's hard to believe that in a three days' time, we'll be in Cancún," I whispered at one point.
"Mm-hmm. You will love it there. It's very beautiful. I know that it may look somewhat different now. We haven't gone there for nearly a decade," he remarked.
"Too bad we can only go out after sunset unless it's cloudy or rainy."
He rubbed my arm. "Don't worry about that. I will find a number of things to keep us occupied during the day."
I smirked. "I bet you will."
"Quiet, you. I know what you are implying," he stated while nudging me.
Carlisle's POV
The house was teeming with liveliness when Isabella came at eight o'clock next morning. My kids were checking to make sure that their dresses and suits were in perfect conditions, or as close to perfect as they could be.
Isabella and I barely said hello to each other when Alice and Rosalie took her to the latter's bedroom. She rolled her eyes as they half-dragged her up the stairs.
"Hey! I saw that, Bella!" Alice interjected. I chuckled and shook my head at them.
I went to my bedroom to read a medical journal online and take care of a few things. At eleven, I put on the gray suit and black tie that I planned to wear to the graduation. Then I headed to the living room to wait for Isabella, my children, and Esme.
Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were the first ones to appear. Next was Esme, then Isabella, Alice, and Rosalie.
My Isabella looked absolutely gorgeous in the sapphire-blue dress that she was wearing. It clung to her figure perfectly. Venom welled up in my mouth.
"Don't you look unbelievably spectacular," I commented, my eyes taking her in.
She flushed pink. "Thank you, Carlisle. You do too."
"Thank you."
Esme waved her hand. "We should all head to the school now. They have to be there early."
I nodded. "Let us go, then."
As much as I wanted Isabella to ride in my car with me, we both knew that it would be suspicious if she did.
She obviously knew how I was feeling; she gave me a morose, knowing smile before getting in Edward's Volvo. Esme patted my hand in comfort when we were in my vehicle.
"You will have more time to be with her later. And it will not be long before you two can be together in public."
"I know. I cannot wait for that day."
The trip to Forks High was short. We told Isabella and our children that we would see them soon before we had gone our separate ways.
One of the school's faculty members directed us to a conference room in the basement. We had to wait there until the graduation began. Many parents were already here, including Charlie. They were sitting, milling around, or drinking coffee or iced tea.
Charlie noticed us immediately and made his way over to us. "Good morning, Carlisle, Esme. How are you?" he queried.
"I'm good," I replied.
"Not bad at all. How are you?" she returned.
"Excited about my daughter's graduation. I'm very proud of her."
I chuckled. "So are Esme and I. We are very proud of our kids too. We knew that they would pass. They have always obtained excellent grades in school. I know that Bella must have as well."
He inclined his head while sipping his coffee. "You're right. You should see her old report cards."
"They must have been exceptional," Esme stated.
"If only you knew."
We talked about our trip to Cancún next. He asked if everything was settled, and told us to take care of and look after Isabella. We promised him that we would keep her safe. I found myself imagining how well I would take care of her.
"Dad!" Edward's low, irritated voice reached me from upstairs. "Stop with the thoughts!"
Sorry, son.
The next hour passed by without drama. More parents came in over time, but Esme and I did not speak to most of them. We were not too acquainted with them. I only knew half of them due to medical reasons.
At 1:15, a faculty member told everybody that we could go to the auditorium. I followed Charlie and Esme there. We were able to get seats near the stage.
We did not have to wait long for the ceremony to begin. A teacher brought out a radio and "Pomp and Circumstance" started to play. The doors in the back of the room opened. The graduates stood outside of them, lined up from tall to short. Isabella was in the middle. Alice was close to the front. Rosalie, Edward, Jasper, and Emmett were near the end.
They came down the aisle two by two. Charlie, Esme, and I whooped and took pictures of Isabella and my kids as they walked down. They would turn to grin for the camera.
Minutes later, all of the students were in their seating area and the music was turned off.
Everyone then stood to say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing "The Star-Spangled Banner", "America", and a few other songs.
Next the principal and a handful of teachers gave speeches before handing out awards. Isabella and all of my children had four or five apiece, including awards for Honor Roll. In the end, it was Jessica Stanley would was the Valedictorian. The speech that she had was very interesting.
"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case, princess. When we were ten they asked again and we answered: rock star, cowboy, or in my case, gold medalist. But now that we've grown up they want a serious answer. Well, how about this: who the hell knows?!"
Everybody in the auditorium laughed before she went on.
"This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, it's the time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere chill. Fall in love – a lot. Major in philosophy – 'cause there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind. Then change it again, because nothing is permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again what we want to be… we won't have to guess. We'll know."
Loud applause filled the room. Jessica did a half bow and made her way to her seat.
Finally, at last, the diplomas were given out. Even though my children have obtained several diplomas over the years, I felt my heart swell with pride and love as I clapped for them. Alice, Edward, and Jasper sensed my thoughts and emotions and beamed at me.
I knew that Charlie felt the same way for Bella as we applauded for her too. So did I, and I already knew that Esme did.
When Isabella, my kids, and the other graduates went back to their seats, the principal told them to move their tassles to the left.
"I know that each and everyone of you have worked very hard to get to this point. I want to thank you for doing so, and for leaving us with precious memories! I know that wherever you go, success will be waiting for you. Congratulations, class of 2006! I wish all of you the best of luck!" he declared.
The graduates cheered and tossed their caps. I noticed that Isabella did not throw her's too high, so she easily caught it.
"Pomp and Circumstance" was played a second time as they left the auditorium in the order that they marched in. Charlie, Esme, and I joined the other parents in the hall.
Isabella and my kids were standing in front of the lockers nearby. They walked over to us as we approached them.
Charlie swept Isabella into a loving embrace. Esme and I kissed hugged Alice and Rosalie tightly first, then Edward, Emmett, and Jasper. After that, our children shook Charlie's hand while Esme and I hugged Isabella next. I wished that I could kiss her beautiful lips...
"Well, how does it feel to be done with high school?" I inquired playfully to distract myself.
"Awesome! I've been waiting for this day since Kindergarten!" Emmett joked, making us chortle heartily.
"I'm relieved that I don't have to go back to high school anymore," Isabella commented in a fervent voice.
"Me too," Rosalie stated.
The others nodded in agreement. Of course, they knew that they will likely return to high school someday.
We decided to leave after Isabella and our kids bid their classmates farewell. A graduation party was being held downstairs in ten minutes, but Esme and I were having a little celebration at home. They had not wanted to take part of the one here.
I invited Charlie to join us. He accepted, saying that he wouldn't mind it for a hour or so.
"But then I will have to leave because I have to work," he added.
"Not a problem. I understand," I remarked.
We all made it to the house in due time. Esme brought out the food and snacks that she had reserved for Isabella once we had gotten settled. I carried out bottles of water, juice, and soda. I even decided to take out a bottle of champagne and apple cider. Alice turned on the music.
The party was not too rowdy. I had a nice talk with Charlie. Esme would add her two cents occasionally. Alice and Rosalie danced with Emmett and Jasper. Edward was poring over a magazine. Isabella watched us all with interest. I caught her eye and smiled. She grinned back tiredly.
I noticed then that she looked rather down. My brows furrowed in concern.
"Are you feeling okay, Bella? Is the music hurting your ears?" I questioned.
"No, the volume's good. I'm just a little exhausted," she said.
"Mmm. I suppose that you must be, what with of the excitement from this afternoon."
Charlie prepared to go a half hour later. Esme wrapped up a plate of food for him to take home. He thanked us for our hospitality and kissed Isabella's cheek before leaving.
Isabella did too after the party ended at 7:30. She would come back at 4:00pm tomorrow, when she would spend the night. There was less of a chance that we would feel hassled before we set out for the airport Friday morning. It was going to be raining in Cancún that day. Otherwise, our flight would have been in the evening.
"Be careful on the road out there," I admonished.
She kissed me deeply. "I will. Love you."
"I love you."
Esme and the girls hugged her next, and so did Edward. Emmett spun her around. Jasper patted her back and kissed her temple.
They said good-bye to each other, then I walked with Isabella to her Chevrolet. We kissed one more time before I saw her off.
XXX
All of us were very preoccupied the next morning. We had to do quite a bit of last minute checking to be sure that we had everything and nothing would go wrong.
During the afternoon, we had pretty much kept to ourselves. I remained in my office until 3:30. Knowing that Isabella was likely on her way, I figured that I could begin making her dinner. I ghosted to the kitchen to look for something that she would like.
In the end, I decided to cook her favorite: mushroom ravioli and spinach. I was not certain that she would have any when we were in Cancún.
The food was nearly done when I heard Isabella's truck. I turned the burner down and stood by the front door as I usually did.
When Isabella climbed out, she beamed and motioned to me. I half-jogged out to her.
"Hey baby," she greeted.
"Hi there, love," I returned, kissing her. "Do you need help with something?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I have four suitcases and I can't fit all of them in both hands."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
I had just pulled two of them out of the Chevrolet when I noticed that Isabella's face looked drawn and a bit paler than usual.
Frowning in worry, I lifted her chin. "Sweetheart, are you ill?"
She blinked. "No...at least, I don't think I am. I did throw up this morning, but I was fine after that. I probably just don't look well because I hardly slept."
"Why?"
"I wasn't able to get comfortable for some reason."
Kissing her cheek, I murmured, "Well, if you want, you may go to bed early and acquire all the sleep that you need."
She smiled wanly. "Okay."
We took the suitcases up to our bedroom and put them near her dresser.
I made her rest until she was hungry. As I sat with her, my eyes widened as she practically bolted down her food.
"Have you not eaten today, too?" I joked.
"Yes, I ate. I'm just ravenous at the moment."
I chuckled. "I can see that."
After she was finished, I washed her dishes. Then I carried her upstairs to our room and laid her on the bed.
"Do you want to do anything in particular before you go to sleep?" I inquired in a low voice.
Isabella narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Um...I am really getting into this book that I started the other day. I'll get it."
She walked over to her carrying-on bag and took it out. Then she came back to me.
Time passed by unknowingly. It always seemed to when I was with her. Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was not important to me when she was.
I had only left her once to check my e-mails at my desk. My boss sent one, telling me to have fun during our trip. I thank him and replied, saying that I planned to. I also wished him luck for the next month.
I was reading another daily medical journal when I smelled tears. I looked around to see Isabella with her face in her arms.
"Honey, what's wrong?" I queried in distress, turning her over.
She wiped her eyes. "I feel so sad. I was just thinking about my friends from school and...I miss them. I know that it isn't likely that I'll ever see them again," she cried.
"Oh, my poor dear." I embraced her. "I truly understand why you feel that way. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better?"
Her grip tightened. "Please...just hold me. Just love me."
And I did, kissing her and rubbing her back gently. "It will be all right. Everything will be all right."
I eventually made passionate love to her. That soothed her just as much as my comforting did.
When we had came, I laid next to her. "Get some rest now. You have to wake up early tomorrow."
Isabella nodded as she placed her head on my chest. She fell asleep almost immediately.
(PLEASE REVIEW! I know this chapter is long, but I meant for it to be [not this long, however]. I want to get to the surprise sooner, which will likely be in the next chapter :). I hope you enjoyed this one! See you later!)